Uh, oh! Not a knife, yet.

I have to admit, this is the longest thread I have ever read. Reading about you and the support you have got, going through the process step by step, it just grabbed me somehow. I read every single reply, and now my eyes are a little crossed from reading so long.

Congrats brother, be proud of your build, I know I would. I have had three knife blanks sitting in my closet for 6 years and have not touched them. They were cut with a plasma cutter in the rough shape of a knife. I never thought they would come out great, I just wanted to mess around with them. I think its french steel or something.

If you get bored brother, hit me up, i will send them to you for some more practice. Sounds like you have the drive and skill to work on them. take care, its inspireing seeing what you have done here. I hope I can do one up the same one day.

To all the knife makers who helped him in his process, I am humbled by your support. You guys make this the great place that it is. So, thanks to you and lorien for all of it.
 
That's awesome! I'm really glad you like what's gone on here so far:).

I never intended or planned this thread, I just took pictures as I stumbled along. The strange thing that happened, is that as I started making progress and started to believe in myself and my vision as it unfolded, the thread started to receive the kind of attention which made me want to succeed in this project all the more. The encouragement and advice has gently pushed me along, and if anything, I now want to finish this knife for the benefit of those following along as much as for myself. But maybe it's all the same thing in the end.

To be honest, I was at least half expecting this thread to get pooped on by some individuals, but so far, that hasn't happened:thumbup::).
 
I've got my legion of ninja monkeys working up the poop, it's a special high fiber diet that creates poop that's optimum for tossing :)
 
Will Leavitt said:
I've got my legion of ninja monkeys working up the poop, it's a special high fiber diet that creates poop that's optimum for tossing :)
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optimal throwing poop:eek:......very interesting, you obviously broke down and shared the beer and pizza with the monkeys.....:p

i wouldnt worry lorien, last i heard, those monkeys weren't very happy with will, so he'll probasbly be recieving the brunt of the tossed poop;):p:barf:
 
If them monkeys had as much beer is I had tonight, then I'd have something to worry about. But...those monkeys better watch out this time! Unless they indulged in IG's hot sauce- then I'd guess armageddon is around the corner!:D
Besides, beer and pizza do not a throwing poop make. It's all about the ferns and nuts and fiber and whatever the #### is that ninjas or ninja monkeys make their poop out of that counts:thumbup:.
 
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I looked for asphalt/tar at the hardware store and really couldn't find anything aqueous(?) or pure enough for what I needed. I didn't know where to go to find what I figured I needed- an acid resistant compound which I can use to selectively etch my metal ferrule in low concentration acid, and be able to remove it easily. I really don't want the real thing, ie; straight up hydrochloric acid around my house, that is nasty sh!t.

So, having done some research I found that there is a stop out acid resistant varnish available. With buffed steel sample piece in hand, I repeatedly experimented with my low concentration (%25) acid solution, with no success. If I had used more concentrated acid, I think I might have gotten to where I wanted to be with this varnish, but soaking for days in low concentration acid just caused my varnish to lift right off, and my pattern to completely disintegrate.

Over the weekend, some vandals destroyed a tree which was very special to me. I had tried to help care for it over many years by removing invasive plants and the like. It's an hour's hike into the bush, on a known but not 'over known' trail.
While cleaning up what I could of the fire they made from it, I considered how best to pursue saving the tree. I figured I'd have to remove some of the remaining parts of the stems they'd severed for their bacchanalian teenage indulgence, and then seal the wounds with pruning paste.

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Eureka!

Pruning paste is tar, which is acid proof. It also sticks like crazy to steel and is easy to remove with solvent. So it looks like I'm back on track! I hope to have something kind of neat over the next couple of days:thumbup:
 
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Hope your trees make it... I guess some good can come from bad... Sorry for the loss of your tree....
 
well this acid etching thing is just not panning out, so I'm calling it quits on that. Which leaves me with the burning question; 'do I want to decorate the ferrule at all? Or just leave it au natural?'

Part of the answer to that question has just presented itself.

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A huge THANK YOU to Wolfgang for this wonderful gift. I'm still at a bit of a loss for words. Suffice to say, I have renewed energy due to his generous gesture:).
 
I had to make a 'file cabinet':D

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I've been shopping around at second hand stores and I've found some really great quality files for next to nothing. Not sure why, but the file has always been my favourite tool.
 
lorien, have you tried just painting with finger nail polish then cutting the design in, and etching in nitric acid, or even ferric.....though nitric would be a faster deeped etch.?

i could send you some

i did this with nitric, not the most intricate, but deffinitely deep etched
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atakach said:
lorien, have you tried just painting with finger nail polish then cutting the design in, and etching in nitric acid, or even ferric.....though nitric would be a faster deeped etch.?

i could send you some
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That's a cool knife!
And I totally appreciate the offer Andrew, but I don't think they let acid across the border;)

But- I got a nice note from Harry, and he gave me the idea of piercing the ferrule and then carving away at it. Funny enough, those of you with a CKCA calendar should look at this month's knives for where I'm drawing inspiration, (hint- the Matthews!)

These new files are really going to make a big difference in the direction I decide to follow. Paradigm files!:D
 
the ferrule is going to be plain. I'm just wanting to do things that are beyond my skill and knowledge level, and this is just a knife and I want to finish it.
I've gotten going a bit on another one in the meantime;

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Thanks Brothers!
 
Lorien said:
I had to make a 'file cabinet':D

thebastardfiles13001.jpg


thebastardfiles13002.jpg


I've been shopping around at second hand stores and I've found some really great quality files for next to nothing. Not sure why, but the file has always been my favourite tool.
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Lorien

I would really advise having something to keep the files from bumping each other, I use several pieces of 1.5" PVC tube to protect my files (and 3/4 for small files)
 
thanks for the tip, Stephan.
I wish you made that point earlier! I just dumped a load of junk at the dump this morning, and there was a bunch of plastic tubing from my daughter's old fisher-price slide which would have been perfect, and it was orange!
Oh well, I've been working on my scavenging skills, so I'll just chalk this up as a lesson:)
 
I just got word that my steel is cooked:)
Figured out how I'm going to do a couple of things in the interim:thumbup::cool:
 
looks like, Ray:D We'll see. I'm anxious to finish so I can concentrate on #3.
 
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